From £3 gadgets to weed ‘eradicator’ and nifty bulb trick – the 8 tips to ease your gardening aches and pains
WE all know gardening is good for you.
But did you know that when you’re getting older, it can also help with arthritis?
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Research published in the Journal of Ageing and Physical Activity also found gardeners were 30 per cent less likely to report falls than non-gardeners, with improved gait and balance helping you along the way.
World Arthritis Day is celebrated on October 12th, so why not get out there and garden – safe in the knowledge that you’ll actually be helping your aching joints.
Dr Wendy Holden, Arthritis Action’s Medical Advisor and Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told Sun Gardening: “Being active and incorporating exercise into your life helps arthritis .
“Even if joints are hurting, they can’t be harmed by exercise.
“Getting outside in the fresh air, being close to nature and nurturing plants also improves both mood and mental health.
“Just remember to pace yourself, take breaks when you need them and make use of many types of adaptive tools available to assist you.”
She added: “Whatever type of arthritis you have, staying active, keeping your joints moving and looking after your sleep and mental wellbeing are all vital to help beat pain.”
Naomi Patrick, Clinical Director at Medella Home Physio & Occupational Therapy, based in Dorset and Wiltshire, added: “Pruning requires controlled movements that work through the full range of motion in shoulders, elbows and wrists.
“These actions can help maintain joint flexibility and may reduce stiffness in people with early-stage arthritis.
“The reaching and snipping motions help maintain the upper body mobility that’s essential for everyday tasks like dressing, cooking and personal care.
“Research shows these movements can be as effective as targeted exercise therapy for certain conditions.
TOP GARDENING TIPS FROM ARTHRITIS ACTION
There’s plenty you can do in you garden if you follow these tips…
Plan ahead: Take time to plan what you want to do, how you will do it and who can help. This will save time and effort in the long run.
Warm up: As with any physical activity, it’s important to warm up first. Potter about, do some light work, ensure you are dressed appropriately for the weather, and have the tools you need to hand.
Start low, go slow. Gradually increase how long you’re active for, and the effort you make while doing it.
Pace yourself: It can be tempting to spend hours working in the garden or want to get a job finished but this could leave you feeling stiff and sore the next day. Take time to ‘stop and smell the roses’!
Take breaks: Staying in the same position for too long can lead to stiffness and pain. Be sure to schedule frequent stretch breaks.
Lighten the load: Many gardening activities can put extra stress on your joints, whether it’s kneeling for a long time, lifting heavy loads or gripping garden tools. You can use assistive devices to help.
Bring the garden to you: If working at low levels is difficult for your hips, knees or back, consider raised planters or an elevated container garden. You may find it easier working from a seated or standing position rather than having to bend down or kneel.
Change tasks: As the saying goes, sometimes ‘a change is as good as a rest’. If you’re keen to continue working in your garden but want to minimise the strain on your joints, change tasks often to use different parts of your body. If you’ve been kneeling for a while, try a task in a standing or seated position.
“For those with painful joints, we recommend using lightweight, ergonomic secateurs and taking regular breaks,” she said.
TOP TIPS FOR ADAPTING YOUR GARDENING
Make access easier by using raised beds, vertical gardens, hanging baskets, or containers
Reduce stress on joints and muscles from repetitive movements by using garden tools that keep hands and wrists in a good position
Minimise bending and stress on back, neck and shoulders by using special long-reach easy grip tools – this includes bulb planters
Reduce the amount of weeding you do by applying a weed barrier with mulch
Reduce the amount of force required to trim plants by using power assisted tools
ADAPTIVE TOOLS FOR ARTHRITIS
Essentialaids.com is a website selling adaptive tools for gardeners. They include tools like easy grip gardening tools with arm supports, and long handled tools for those who struggle bending down. Great for easier weeding and digging. From £29.99
Stiga.com has a cordless, battery powered electric pruning shears and saw. I’ve tried both of these and the pruning shears especially, are fantastic for those with limited strength, as they require no effort to cut. From £129
Flexon Guard N Grip Hose, which earned an Arthritis Foundation Ease of Use certification, makes connecting it to outdoor faucets less strenuous on hands and wrists and stops the need for lugging around heavy watering cans.
Safetygloves.co.uk has a whole range of gardening gloves for arthritis from £3
Amazon.co.uk sell Bionic ReliefGrip Premium Leather Gardening Gloves which are good for arthritic hands. From £29.99
New company www.rootup.co.uk has launched a new product perfect for people with limited reach. Called the Growyo Hanger, it is endorsed by thirteen-time gold Chelsea Flower Show winner, Medwyn Williams MBE. The hanger organises individual yo-yos used to lift the branches of heavily-laden plants — such as tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers and apple trees — allowing users to more easily and efficiently support and train them. £14.99
Also in Veronica’s Gardening Column this week…
Top tips, Gardening news, plant of the week, and a competition to win a year’s subscription to 123Flowers
For more gardening content and competiitons, follow me @biros_and_bloom
WIN! 123 Flowers is a UK-based online florist designed to make flower delivery ‘as easy as 1-2-3’, with a commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing. They’re offering one Sun Gardening reader a whole year flower subscription.
To enter, visit www.thesun.co.uk/123FLOWERSCOMP or write to 123 Flowers Competiton, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. October 18, 2025. T&Cs apply
PLANT OF THE WEEK! CORNUS ‘Midwinter Fire’ AKA Dogwood.
This is a perfect plant to see you through Autumn and Winter. Not only does it provide lovely green leaves over summer and into Autumn – they fall to reveal stunning vivid orange red and yellow stems which look like fire through Winter.
JOB OF THE WEEK Don’t throw away all your raked up leaves – they can be turned into leaf mould – literally chop them up, pack them in binbags hidden away – and eventually after a year or so, they’ll turn into lovely usable nourishing compost.
